GiveNOLA Day is a local day of giving in the Greater New Orleans area, including the Northshore. Generous donors pour out their support to their favorite nonprofits, and this year, St. Tammany Hospital Foundation is asking for your support for a special initiative through our hospital's Parenting Center.
Funds raised by the foundation through GiveNOLA Day 2022 – which is today (May 3) – will support the Parenting Center at St. Tammany Health System with an impactful program to help ensure the safety of children with disabilities. These funds will be used to purchase demo car seats to be used in fittings for children with special healthcare needs or those who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional condition.
The special-needs seats purchased will be used to fit the child into the appropriate seat for their needs, as well as a proper fit in the vehicle used for transporting the child. Though expensive, these seats are vital for ensuring a proper fit and installation.
The process will begin with an appointment for initial assessment and fitting. STHS will then order the appropriate seat from an approved manufacturer. Next, there is another appointment to fit the child in the seat and vehicle once the seat arrives, with another follow-up appointment in six months.
Child passenger safety technicians will work in partnership with our pediatric physical therapists to assess a child's physical capabilities to determine positioning needs. This includes muscle tone and control, head control, trunk control, and medical equipment needs during transportation.
These special needs seats cannot be purchased from a store, and they provide a more custom fit to assist with support and positioning that cannot be accomplished with other seats.
Anywhere from 52% to 84% of traditional child restraints show some sort of misuse, according to Safe Ride 4 Kids. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports seven out of 10 children are not properly restrained.
Your support today will allow the Parenting Center to offer fittings for children with special needs, providing necessary safety seats specialized for their individual conditions.
Please make your gift now to ensure the safety of children with special needs in our community. Your generosity will also enter us into various prize drawings and access to the Lagniappe Fund offered through the Greater New Orleans Foundation! We are thrilled and grateful to have your support.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW.